Welcome to the NHL Star Energy Index: A weekly gauge of the gamers who’re controlling substantial buzz across the league. When a participant is included on this checklist it will not be a superb factor — it implies that they’re capturing a considerable amount of the hockey world’s consideration.

These gamers are in no specific order with regards to the quantity of buzz that they are creating. We’ll revisit the Star Energy Index each week all through the common season.

Getting into Tuesday, Kyle Connor had been in a scoring drought. The Winnipeg Jets star had scored only one objective throughout his earlier seven video games, however the Michigan native bought again on monitor in an enormous manner in opposition to the Vancouver Canucks.

Connor recorded a pure hat trick within the opening 13:37 of Tuesday’s 6-1 win in opposition to the Canucks as he scored the sport’s opening three targets. It marked the second-fastest hat trick to begin off a recreation in franchise historical past.

The truth is, Connor ended up scoring all three of his targets over a span of simply 6:23 within the opening interval. On the 6:59 mark of the primary interval, the proficient winger bought into the scoring column for the primary time.

The Jets dumped the puck into the offensive zone and Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen tried to shoot the puck up the boards in direction of the blue line. Nonetheless, because of being shielded by Jets ahead Mark Scheifele, teammate Gabriel Vilardi was in a position to lower off the clearing try, and located a wide-open Connor in entrance for the bang-bang objective.

Connor continued his reign of terror across the internet simply seven minutes later.

Vilardi handed the puck forward to defenseman Neal Pionk within the impartial zone and it was off to the races. Pionk gained the offensive zone and ripped a snap shot that Lankinen was in a position to flip apart. Nonetheless, Lankinen allowed the puck to squirt away from his management. Connor then was in a position to corral it and flip a backhanded shot previous him from in shut.

Simply 36 seconds later, Connor completed off his pure hat trick in dramatic trend. The Jets used crisp puck motion as Scheifele was in a position to safe the puck and push it forward to Vilardi within the impartial zone. As he had earlier within the body, Vilardi threaded the needle between two defenders to get the puck to Connor, and the Jets star went forehand-to-backhand to attain his third objective of the night time.

Connor merely was working at any elite degree throughout Tuesday’s contest, and it was much-needed.

The Jets ahead had solely netted 4 targets over the previous month. This was Connor’s fifth multi-goal efficiency of the season, and maybe a catalyst in direction of getting again on monitor.

At 28 years previous, Connor McDavid has already etched his title alongside among the biggest gamers to ever lace up a pair of skates. On Wednesday, McDavid joined some very elite firm within the historical past of the Edmonton Oilers group.

McDavid tallied two targets and an help in Wednesday’s 5-3 win in opposition to the Minnesota Wild. In doing so, McDavid handed Jari Kurri for sole possession of second place on the Oilers’ all-time factors checklist with 1,044.

Now, he and Wayne Gretzky stand alone on the prime of the checklist, although McDavid nonetheless has a methods to go to get to The Nice One (1,669).

As well as, the Oilers star reached the 60-point mark for the ninth consecutive season. In doing so, McDavid joined Leon Draisaitl (2016-17 to 2024-25), Mitch Marner (2016-17 to 2024-25), Brad Marchand (2015-16 to 2023-24), Mark Scheifele (2015-16 to 2023-24), and Patrick Kane (2013-14 to 2021-22) in reaching the feat.

McDavid’s place on the Oilers all-time factors checklist was secured on a 3rd interval objective throughout Wednesday’s contest. 

On the 12:49 mark of the third interval, Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard was in a position to make a save and Edmonton cleared the puck out of hazard. At that second, McDavid was in a position to corral the puck and head the opposite manner on a two-on-one with teammate Zach Hyman. As Wild defenseman Jake Middleton slid throughout the slot, McDavid displayed exceptional endurance, and completely tucked the puck over goaltender Filip Gustavsson for the sensational objective.

McDavid’s stick-handling was on a totally totally different degree on this play, and his endurance allowed the Oilers to place the sport out of attain.

The Oilers star has already established himself as one of the crucial gifted playmakers that the game has ever seen. As McDavid continues to make extra historical past, it seems prefer it could possibly be a formality as to when McDavid surpasses Gretzky for probably the most factors in workforce historical past.

Zach Werenski is within the midst of taking part in among the greatest hockey of his whole profession. The truth is, the Columbus Blue Jackets star could also be in line for the Norris Trophy because the league’s prime defenseman when it is all stated and achieved this season.

Werenski at present leads the Blue Jackets in factors (51) and assists (36), and is simply seven factors from surpassing his present career-high level complete (57). The truth is, the Columbus blue-liner is on tempo for 93 factors on the season, which might shatter his earlier career-best.

Werenski has tallied at the very least some extent in seven of his final eight video games and has scored 4 targets throughout that span. In Tuesday’s 3-2 shootout win in opposition to the Philadelphia Flyers, Werenski scored a pair of targets to assist push the Blue Jackets throughout the end line.

After scoring an unassisted objective within the opening interval, Werenski was in a position to tie the sport for the Blue Jackets within the late levels of the third interval.

With beneath 5 minutes remaining in regulation, the Blue Jackets have been in a position to knock the puck away from Flyers ahead Scott Laughton within the impartial zone. Columbus winger Kirill Marchenko introduced the puck into the offensive zone and orchestrated a two-on-one rush to perfection. Marchenko waited for the correct second earlier than sliding it over to Werenski, and Werenski ripped the puck into the open objective as Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov could not slide throughout in time.

Werenski has actually displayed his goal-scoring acumen this season, and is closing in on his career-high in targets (20), which he set through the 2019-20 marketing campaign.

It is onerous to think about Werenski not being within the Norris Trophy dialog even when his play dips a little bit bit all through the remainder of the season. Werenski has been an incredible brilliant spot for a Blue Jackets workforce that at present owns the highest Wild Card playoff spot within the Jap Convention.

Within the 2024 offseason, the Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals linked up on a commerce that swapped goaltender Darcy Kuemper and ahead Pierre-Luc Dubois. It was a deal that was accomplished resulting from the truth that each gamers simply wanted a change of surroundings.

Halfway by the season, Kuemper has benefitted from his new dwelling in an enormous manner.

Kuemper has racked up a 4-1-0 file, a 0.80 goals-against-average, and .971 save share to this point in January. The veteran netminder has allowed one objective or much less in every of these 5 outings.

Most not too long ago, Kuemper stopped 20 of the 21 pictures that he confronted in a 5-1 win in opposition to the Vancouver Canucks. It marked the fourth consecutive outing wherein the Kings goaltender allowed only one objective.

Kuemper has actually been taking part in at an elite degree since arriving in Los Angeles. The Kings goaltender at present has the second-lowest goals-against-average (2.06) within the league behind solely Winnipeg Jets star Connor Hellebuyck (1.97).

Whereas a change of surroundings would not all the time flip the tide, it seems like Kuemper is regaining his kind as he is on a spectacular run in current weeks.